


Ever Been This Happy

by FuqboiBird



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/F, I may have cried writing this, M/M, This starts out sad let me tell you, What Could Have Been- Champions Ballad, spoilers for game and dlc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 11:22:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13075836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuqboiBird/pseuds/FuqboiBird
Summary: “Link,” She says firmly, “Do you trust me?” She fixes him with a look, green eyes burning with a fire unlike anything he had seen before. She offers him the Master Sword once more.AkaWhat I wanted out of The Champions Ballad





	Ever Been This Happy

When the dust cleared, and the malice faded into nothingness, there was only him and Zelda. They stood there for a quiet moment, the only sound being the wind dancing through the grass, and simply stared at each other. After a moment, Zelda burst into a smile so bright that it could rival the sun, and all but ran into his arms. He pulled her close, sinking into her with relief.

 

It was over. It was finally over.

 

Far too quickly did Zelda pull away from him, choosing to place her hand on his shoulders and look him in the eyes, instead. She smiled once more, but this time it was smaller, more confused. Her eyes drifted to the wide expanse of field behind him, scanning the horizon. Searching.

 

“Zelda..?” He asked, meeting her eyes. She gave him a wide eyed look.

“Link, where are they?” She asked, and he could only give her a sorrowful look in return. Her brows furrowed, and her eyes filled with a familiar fire, “Where are the Champions?”

 

“Zelda, I-,” Link paused, trying to swallow the lump of emotion rising in his chest, “I’m so sorry.”

 

“No,” Zelda admonished, pulling away, “They’re not. I know it.”

 

“Zelda…” He tried to interrupt, to explain, but she continued on.

 

“I know they still live,” She stated firmly, holding a hand above her heart, “I felt it. I heard them! Throughout the years, even while you slept.”

 

“I saw them. Their spirits. Zelda… They’re dead.” Link found himself saying, and even to himself did he sound defeated. Her face fell, the fire in her green eyes fading quickly. He could see her searching for a rebuttal, for words that denied the truth for something better. He found his heart breaking once more, both for and with her.

 

“No,” She whispered, desperation coloring her tone. She looked up at him, tears already starting to fall down her cheeks, “It can’t be… I- I spoke to them this morning… They told me you were coming. They promised me they would be here. They promised!” Zelda wailed, tears flowing freely now, each ‘promise’ accentuated with the shake of a fist. Link merely pulled her close and held tight as the sobs wracked her body, tucked his head into her shoulder, and let a few of his own fall.

 

Some time later, after they had composed themselves, they began their journey back into the world, a new world, one no longer tainted with evil and malice. They mounted Epona and set South, to Kakariko Village. Around them hung an air of devastating finality, and the silence stretched thin over the moment. Eventually, Zelda spoke.

 

“Not much has changed over a hundred years,” She looked around at the land surrounding her, and lay her head on Link’s shoulder. Not much had changed- things had fallen into disrepair, yes, but for the most part everything was still there.

 

“And yet everything is so… different.” She stated after a pause. Link hummed in agreement, guiding Epona up the hill that was the final stretch to Kakariko. Zelda stared at the passing scenery without giving it much thought, her mind focused on the events of the day, and on what life would be like moving forward.

 

“How… have you dealt with it? Of losing everyone? Losing him? Being alone?” Zelda found herself saying, her thoughts guiding her words instead of her brain. She stared at the ground intently, trying to fathom how Link had felt in these past months. She felt him turn around and look at her, and even without seeing his face could she feel the concern radiating off of him.

 

“Well,” He began, voice thick with misuse and emotion, “It’s not… easy. Mostly I just try and push forward; don’t dwell on the past for too long. Mostly… I just focused on what I had to do to defeat Ganon and help you.” He paused, looking up at the soft purple sky, framed sharply by the steep cliffs that edged the path. Stars were beginning to emerge, twinkling down on them in a way that seemed almost conspiratorial. Ahead, the soft light of torches signified the beginnings of Kakariko Village, and the sight of them filled Link with a feeling he almost couldn't describe. A mix of relief, excitement, and a deep rooted sadness.

 

“And now..?” Zelda asked, quietly, in a way that hinted that she already knew the answer.

 

“ I don’t know. We try and get through it.” Link responded in an almost-whisper. A sigh in response, followed by Zelda sitting up, staring ahead.

 

“We do it together,” she stated, tone steeled with determination. Link turned to look at her, a small sad smile on his face. She returned his with her own, and they rode into Kakariko.

 

The minute they entered Kakariko Village there was an excited uproar by all the Shekiah who lived there. They were hurried along to Impa’s house by exclamations of joy, of freedom from the great darkness that had laid oppressively over them for a hundred years. In little time are they sitting in the warm entry room of Impa’s house, warm food and drink in hand, able to relax for the first time that day. Zelda has been given a fresh tunic and a pair of pants until Impa is able to locate her travelling outfit, which apparently she had kept for this very day, tucked away somewhere in her big house. Paya anxiously flitted around, trying her best to make sure everyone was content, despite both he and Zelda being quite easy to please.

 

“So,” Impa began once they were seated, food in hand, “What do you two intend to do, now that this is all over?”

 

In response, Zelda looked at him, and he looked at Zelda, and they stared at each other for a brief moment before breaking eye contact. Zelda took a bite of her bread, chewing thoroughly as she stared into the candlelight. Once done, she spoke, “Well, we could try to restore Hyrule, fix bridges, re-establish towns… Make ourselves useful to the people.”

 

“Zelda, you don’t need to be a princess if you don’t want to. Ask yourself, what do you want?” Impa asked, causing Zelda to look down at the floor introspectively.

 

“I want… To be happy. To live a normal life. To be able to live life as I want to.” She clenched a fist in front of her chest, staring at the ground, an indescribable took on her face. Regardless, Link knew what- or who- she was thinking of.

 

“You have a chance to live life on your own terms, Zelda,” Impa said softly, causing Zelda to look up and offer a quiet “I know.”

 

“I have a house,” Link decided to interrupt, though it came out rough. He cleared his throat and began again. “I have a house. In Hateno. It’s big enough, you could stay there if you’d like. We could go explore the wilds, I could show you how the Shekiah slate works. We could travel.”

 

With that, Zelda turns to look at him, a tentative but bright smile on her face. “I think I would like that.”

 

Not long after that, they each head in their respective directions, bringing the night to a close. As Link lays in bed, he holds a piece of scarf, staring down at the embroidery numbly, running his fingers over the designs over and over, tracing the shape of Medoh as he tries to come to terms with what had happened. As he does so, he begins to drift off, and his last thought as he finally sinks into darkness was if Zelda, just rooms away, was doing the same.

 

The next day they wake early, practically with the sun, and head in the direction of Hateno. Their pace is slow, and they arrive by midday, unpacking what little they have and bringing it into the house. Link stables Epona, and when he comes back in, he finds Zelda standing in the middle of the main room, hand over her mouth, staring around the room. She turns when she hears Link enter, and her eyes are shining, brimming with tears.

 

“They’re theirs… How?” Zelda says, gesturing at the weapons hanging on the wall.

 

“When I freed the Divine Beasts… They were given to me. Since I… I was the only one left.” Link explained, and Zelda nodded tearily, hovering in front of Mipha’s trident for a moment, one hand outstretched as if she were inclined to take it. She took a deep breath and turned away, walking upstairs with a brief gesture for Link to follow. He does, jogging up the stairs behind her. She stops in front of a framed picture and turns to Link once more.

 

“And this. How- How did you find this? Where did you find it?” Zelda looks Link, and he looks at the shot of them- of all the champions- with a solemn, if bittersweet, look and shakes his head.

 

“My friend, Kass- he’s a Rito- his late teacher found it, and left it to him. He recognized me from the picture, and gave it to me last time I visited Rito Village.” Link said, and Zelda nodded in acknowledgement.

 

“I never thought I’d see it again,” She said, tone reverent as a tear slid down her cheek, followed by another, then another, and before long they were crying in each others arms, both for and with each other, and for the people they had lost.

 

Roughly three days after Zelda moves in, he’s woken abruptly by her calling his name. He sits up blearily and looks around, and promptly realizes that it’s still completely dark. His eyes then focus on Zelda, who is crouched beside his bed, fully dressed.

 

“Link, get up, we need to go to the Great Plateau,” She says, and he gives her a confused look, to which she gives him her aggravated head roll, “Link.”

 

“Why do we need to go the the Great Plateau… It’s the middle of the night. Can it wait until morning?” Link asks, running a hand through his hair, and in response Zelda fixes him with a look.

 

“The Champions- Mipha, Revali, Urbosa, Daruk- they’re alive.” Zelda states, reaching down and grabbing something. At that, Link’s heart sinks, and he gives her a very sad, sympathetic look.

 

“Zelda, I know it’s hard, but I’ve seen-”

 

“Their spirits, I know- but, Link, they’re not spirits any more.” She says firmly, and holds out the Master Sword, hilt offered to Link.

 

“Zelda-”

 

“Link,” She says firmly, “Do you trust me?” She fixes him with a look, green eyes burning with a fire unlike anything he had seen before. She offers him the Master Sword once more.

 

He takes it.

 

They leave Hateno barely half an hour later, galloping full tilt through the fields and forests, path illuminated by light of a crescent moon. They reach the top of the Great Plateau by daybreak, and pause to stare out over Hyrule Field, bathed in rich reds and oranges. Link turns to Zelda, who breathes in deeply and sighs before turning to Link.

 

“The Shrine of Resurrection.” She says, and they head off through the trees, following the dirt path that leads up the hill. They scare two crows out from the mouth of the cave that leads down into the shrine, and they fly away, cawing shrilly. Their cries only illustrate the deep silence that lays over the area around the shrine. They walk into the cave, and are almost immediately plunged into darkness.

 

The silence is terse as they walk into the body of the shrine, the blue light casting an eerie glow about the room. Zelda walks to the pedestal, looks at Link, and nods in a way that is almost to herself. He hands her the slate, and she places it on the pad. There’s a chime of acknowledgement, and then…

 

Nothing.

 

They stand in silence for a moment, Link watching as Zelda’s face becomes more and more despairing with each passing second. Finally she looks up at Link, who matches her look of despair, and she lets out one very small, very broken “ no.”

 

Almost as if on queue, the room they’re standing in gives a jerk, and with a loud groan, they begin to travel downwards. They look around in shock and amazement as they travel further and further downwards. When they finally stop, they walk out into a large room with large gears and other shekiah technology. In the center is a raised pedestal with a fixture that resembles a terminal hanging above it. Zelda runs toward it and falls to her knees, hands reverently tracing a figure on the ground.

 

Link follows after her, and finds that the figures on the pedestals are figures of the Divine Beasts, each figure glowing softly with the color that represented each champion. He looks down at the symbols, and at Zelda, and for the first time in a long time, allows himself to hope.

 

“What do we have to do?” Link asks, and Zelda stands, dusting off her pants, and points to the line of light that flows from each Divine Beast.

 

“Follow the light,” and she turns to him, eyes alight with hope, “And we free the Champions.”

 

They follow the light of of Ruta to a tunnel filled with water- a puzzle, one easily solved, and soon they are standing in front of a terminal once more. Zelda hesitantly places the Slate on the terminal, and then suddenly a door is opening to their left, revealing a dark room that emitted a faint bluish glow. They walk in, hesitantly, to find a Vah Ruta shaped projection from the wall. Zelda stops in front of the beast and stares, eyes scanning the wall and everything around it.

 

“She’s here, she’s _in there._ ” Zelda says, placing a hand on the trunk, “But how do we open it?”

 

There’s a faint mechanical click, and then suddenly, the parts making the face of Ruta begin to slide away, revealing the form inside. Zelda gasps, hand held over her mouth, tears beginning to fall as Mipha emerges, whole and alive. She steps down out of the opening, smile on her face, all grace and composure.

 

“Zelda,” Mipha says, smiling widely, “I told you I would be here.” And Zelda all but falls into Mipha’s arms, sobbing tears of joy.

 

“Mipha- I- I’ve missed you so much,” Zelda states, and Mipha smiles, brushing hair out of Zelda’s face gently.

 

“I know. I’ve missed you as well, Zelda.” Mipha says, and pulls the girl in for a kiss.

 

Once Zelda had composed herself, and tearful reunions had been had for both Link and Zelda, they moved to the next tunnel. They completed the puzzle quickly with the help of Mipha, and soon they were reunited with Urbosa, who warranted an equally tearful reunion with the three Champions. Not long after, Daruk too was reunited with them, who’s boisterous attitude and plentiful objections of “If you cry, Princess, then I’ll cry” managed to lift their spirits and prevent, for the most part, the shedding of tears.

 

Which then left Link, and Revali. They gathered behind him, an encouraging force, as Link gathered his nerves. He placed the slate on the terminal carefully, staring in apprehension at the doors as they opened, revealing the room within. Urbosa placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a calm, reassuring smile. Link took a deep breath, and walked in.

 

Revali emerged all pompous grace and flair, wearing a smile that one might mistake for a smirk if they weren’t well versed in Revali. “Miss me, Hero?”

 

“More than you can imagine,” Link breathed out, and then, after a long one hundred years, Revali was in his arms once more.

 

* * *

 

One day, a few weeks later, Link turned to Zelda as they lounged outside his home in Hateno. They were watching Urbosa and Mipha chat with Paya, who had apparently been sent by Impa to check on the two of them after they hadn’t been heard from in a while. They had forgotten to send a letter, but they didn’t really mind.

 

They had better things to do, after all.  

 

Above them, Revali was flying in loops around the house and the village, much to the amusement of the village children. Link watched him, a soft smile playing on his face, eyes shaded from the sun by a hand.

 

“Zelda,” He asked, “How did you know?”

 

Zelda turns to him, smile as bright as the sun, and hands him the flower that she had been absentmindedly playing with. It’s a Silent Princess. Zelda wore a crown of them weaved into her hair, courtesy of Mipha. The Silent Princess had been growing in abundance recently, and Zelda had been incredibly pleased when the field beside his house had begun growing them en masse.

 

“Oh, that’s quite simple. Hylia told me.” Zelda states, a coy smile on her face. Link gives her a look of confusion, to which she only laughs. Mipha looks over at Zelda and smiles, causing Zelda’s smile to grow even further.

 

“Oh, Link, I don’t believe I have ever been this happy in my life,” Zelda states with a smile, and Link smiles back.

 

He doesn’t think he’s ever been this happy before, either.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I just wrote this whole thing. Its like 3 am. But I have a lot of feelings about the Champions Ballad and about what could have been


End file.
